Why I Love Physical Books
To commemorate a beautiful sunny day, I decided to take myself out for brunch. As I sat at this cafe called Archie’s, waiting for the first half of my order to arrive, I subconsciously reached out for my book. I’m currently reading, “Never Split the Bill” by Chris Voss.
Turning to the next page, I caught a gentleman grab the seat right next to me and from my peripheral vision, I could tell he was by himself. He seemed like someone who would enjoy his own company. Trying to steer my attention to the words on the pages of my book, I continued to listen to him order his food. He said,
“I’ll go for the Smashed Avocado, thank you.”
The way he spat out his order without needing a menu told me he frequented this cafe often. A moment later, he glanced at the book I was reading and goes on to tell me he’d only recently bought it. I say to him,
“It’s a really good book for any one learning about the art of negotiation or has ever been interested in the world of FBI agents conducting high stakes negotiations.”
Before you knew it, the conversation flew like a river from the bank of what we did for work and why we did it to the valley of our motivations & desires. When the eggs on my plate had disappeared and the residue of my smoothie was struggling to make its way through the straw, I said,
“Isn’t it amazing how pets & books always bring people together in the most unexpected ways?”
And he says,
“That’s why I’ve never liked Kindle & devices that have you read books electronically. The magic of peeking into the cover of what another person is reading & starting a conversation disappears.”
I smile & retort,
“I’ve never liked the idea of electronic books and you just gave me yet another reason to continue my crusade against them.”
Physical books are not just identified by their ability to be held & stored but also with the unseen potential they bring with them, not just for our imaginary world but also the world we inhabit. They always come packed with a dash of magic, if the reader only believes in it.
Then, they will unfold into an entire experience which you will relive every time you pick the book up from your shelves, like a time machine. They will remind you of the faint vanilla scent that emanated from the first page when you picked them up from the quaint little corner of the street. The page you earmarked has a story that always takes you back to a playful experience in your own childhood you’d never forget. The heart scribbles in the back of your book always take you back to the memories of the boy you loved. The bookmark reminds you of the trip you took with your parents when you found yourself in a shop full of unique bookmarks. Flipping through the pages, you time travel through different moments of your life, until you’re finally ready to be transported back to the present.
“Reading is an act of civilization; it’s one of the greatest acts of civilization because it takes the free raw material of the mind and builds castles of possibilities.”
―Ben Okri
